Safety device for acetylene cylinder



p 1969 F. L. PARNELL 3,464,278

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AGETYLENE CYLINDER Filed 001.. 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 FIG. 1

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SAFETY DEVICE FOR ACETYLENE CYLINDER Filed Oct. 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. 7 Frederick L Parnell ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 464,278 SAFETY DEVICE FOR ACETYLENE CYLINDER Frederick L. Parnell, 102 Stokely Road, Wilmington, N.C. 28401 Filed Oct. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 677,888 Int. Cl. F16k 17/14; F1611 27/02 US. Cl. 748.15 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment for shutting oif an acetylene cylinder in the event of fire utilizes a spring loaded lever which mounts on the cylinder regulator and a heat destructlble pin which melts under the influence of heat and allows the lever to rotate and close the regulator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention type are generally classified under safety cut-off valves having a destructible, deformable, element control under the general class of fluid handling.

Description of the prior art The prior art which may generally be found is of the type which is incorporated in the acetylene cylinder or which is positioned somewhere along the line leading from the cylinder to the torch or blowpipe. In either case, the probability that the safety device will be effective to prevent a major conflagration is unlikely. Heat sensitive internally mounted devices are usually very expensive and have the main disadvantage of requiring the cylinder to heat up to a particular degree before the device becomes operable to close the regulator. It can be seen that by the time the entire acetylene cylinder is raised to a predetermined temperature, the chances of an explosion are considerable. The placement of a safety device along the gas supply line between the acetylene cylinder and the torch is for the most part ineifective because such a device does not shut off the supply regulator in case of an explosion adjacent the tank.

It can be seen that the art would be significantly advanced if a safety device were provided which is adapted to be easily mounted onto an acetylene cylinder or tank or the like as an attachment and which is adapted to mechanically close the acetylene supply regulator upon a conflagration in the area adjacent the cylinder.

Summary of the invention The apparatus of this invention is comprised essentially of a series of spring-loaded linkages which are positioned by means of a heat destructible shear pin. More specifically, in the embodiment disclosed the linkage is comprised of a collar which is secured to the rim of the cylinder upon the removal of the cap protecting the cylinder and regulator, an upwardly curved arm which is integrally connected to the collar, a horizontally disposed intermediate arm which is pivotally connected to the curved arm, a tension spring which is helically wound around the intermediate arm and which is connected to a traveler which is slidably mounted on the intermediate ice arm, a lever arm which is slidably connected at one end to the traveler and at the other end to the cylinder regulator valve and a heat destructible shear pin which normally maintains the traveler in an outward position on the intermediate arm and the spring under tension, Upon the melting or destruction of the pin, the traveler is released to slide on the intermediate arm and the spring pulls the traveler and the level arm in the direction of the curved arm at least one-quarter of a revolution to close the cylinder regulator and prevent the further flow of gas from the cylinder into the supply line.

Therefore an object of this invention is to provide an acetylene gas containing cylinder or the like with a mechanical safety device attachment which automatically closes the regulator controlling the flow of acetylene gas from the cylinder upon a substantial rise in temperature in the area immediately adjacent the cylinder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety device for acetylene cylinders and the like with a heat destructible shear pin and which normally maintains the device in a static position and upon being heated adapts the safety device to be actuated to close the regulator controlling the flow of acetylene gas from the cylinder.

A further object of this invention is to provide a safety device which automatically closes the regulator controlling the flow of acetylene gas from the cylinder with a spring loaded lever arm which is normally held in a static position by a heat destructible shear pin whereby upon a conflagration in the area immediately adjacent the cylinder, the shear pin melts and allows the spring loaded lever arm to close the mentioned regulator.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a spring loaded safety attachment which can be removably mounted onto an acetylene portable cylinder for automatically closing the regulator in the event of fire and with a resetting means which can be used to reset the attachment to a normal static position.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent when the following claims and detailed descriptron are read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of the safety device of the invention mounted on an acetylene cylinder;

FIGURE 2 is plan view of the safety device mounted on the cylinder in a cocked position;

FIGURE 3 is the plan view of FIGURE 2 and showing the device after having been triggered and having closed the acetylene cylinder regulator;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a tool for resetting the traveler and spring;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the collar and arm assembly;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the traveler; and

FIGURE 7 is a section view taken in the direction of lines 77 of FIGURE 2 showing the traveler and spring in an extended position and also showing the tool for resetting the traveler and spring.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment Safety device 10 is mounted onto rim 12 of acetylene cylinder 11 by means of collar 14. Rim 12 receives a protective cap (not shown) during storage for preventing damage being done to the conventional cylinder regulator or valve arrangement generally indicated at 15. Collar 14 is secured to rim 12 by means of set screws 16 which are threadably mounted in collar 14 and which protrude inwardly to engage rim 12. Collar 14 also includes an integral outwardly and upwardly extending curved arm 17 which acts to support the remander of the structure next to be described.

Intermediate arm assembly 20 is comprised of a pivotal mount 21, a shaft 22 which is integrally secured to pivotal mount 21, a tension spring 23 which is helically wound around shaft 22 and a traveler 24 which is slidably mounted on shaft 22 and which is secured to one end of spring 23, the other end of spring 23 being connected to pivotal mount 21. Any suitable means may be employed to secure the respective ends of spring 23. Traveler 24 and mount 21 are preferably provided with threaded holes such that the ends of spring 23 may be secured by screwing them into place as best represented in FIGURE 7. Pivotal mount 21 includes a flange 25 having a vertical opening 26. Flange 25 receives a bolt 27 which mounts in opening 26 and the body portion 28 of which is threadably secured in a corresponding threaded opening 30 in the end of arm 17. Thus, pivotal mount 21 is adapted to swing about the body portion 28 of bolt 27.

Traveler 24 includes a body portion and a flange portion 36 which is integrally connected to and extends outwardly from body portion 35 and includes a vertical opening 39. Body portion 35 further includes a longitudinal positioned opening 37 (see FIGURE 7) through which shaft 22 extends and a laterally positioned opening 38 the axis of which perpendicularly intersects opening 37. Shaft 22 includes a lateral opening 31 at its unsecured end 32. Opening 38 in traveler 24 and opening 31 in shaft 22 when aligned are adapted to receive a fusible, heat destructible pin or strap 40 which may be made of nylon or other suitable tough plastic designed to melt in the presence of fire and excess heat.

Lever arm is pivotally connected at one end to traveler 24 by means of bolt 51 which is countersunk in flange portion 36 and extends upwardly therefrom through an opening 52 in lever arm 50 and is threadably received by reset block 54. Bolt 51 has a smooth shaft portion which resides in and extends through opening 52 in lever arm 50 to adapt lever arm 50 to pivot above the same and is threadably secured to reset block 54 to secure the pivotal connection of lever arm 50 from losing its pivotal connection with flange portion 36 of traveler 24. The other end of lever arm 50 is provided with a downwardly extending stub 59 which mounts a socket 60 (see FIGURE 1) which is provided with square opening 61 adapted to fit on the conventional square shaped regulator 62 of valve 15. It should be understood that any turning of stem lever 50 will turn socket 60 and correspondingly will turn stem 62.

In operation, collar 14 is loosely fitted onto rim 12 of cylinder 11 and socket 60 is arranged to engage regulator stem 62. The whole assembly of the invention is then adjusted such that stem 62 is opened approximately A; of a revolution to a normal gas supply position. With socket 60 still being connected to regulator stem 62, set screws 16 are screwed inwardly so as to securely mount collar 14 on rim 12. Prior to mounting the assembly for operation traveler 24 will have been set as later explained, by inserting the heat destructible pin 40 through the aligned openings 38, in traveler 24, and 31 in shaft 22. Upon a fire in the area immediately surrounding cylinder 11, heat destructible pin 40 is destroyed releasing traveler 24 for sliding on shaft 22 toward pivotal mount 21 by means of the tension of spring 23 and which is effective to pivot and turn lever arm 50. The pivoting of lever arm 50 closes regulator 62 and shuts off the flow of gas to the supply line thus preventing opportunity for the gas in the cylinder to feed the fire.

In resetting traveler 24 to an operable position, reset plate 65 which is integrally secured to and which vertically extends upwardly from pivotal mount 21 receives a threaded shaft through a threaded opening 71. The end portion 73 of shaft 70 is loosely inserted into a mating opening 74 provided in reset block 54 and handle 75 is turned to move shaft 70 through opening 71 and force reset block 54 outwardly to realign opening 38 in traveler 24 with opening 31 of shaft 22. Upon the alignment of the mentioned openings, a new heat destructible pin is inserted into the aligned openings and threaded shaft 70 is withdrawn from contact with both the reset block 54 and reset plate 65 which places the safety device of the inven tion back into its protective position.

In summary, it can be seen that the invention provides a unique safety device for gas cylinders in the event of fire. In particular the disclosed linkages provides a spring tensioned valve operator whose fusible member insures immediate response to fire and return of the valve to a safe and closed position.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for a bottled gas cylinder of the type having a valve controlled by a stem extending from the body of said cylinder, comprising in combination:

(a) an elongated lever;

(b) a socket mounted at one end of said lever and adapted to releasably engage the stem of a cylinder such that movement of said lever is effective to rotate said stem between open and closed positions;

(c) an elongated tension spring;

(d) a mounting frame including a clamp portion adapted to be releasably secured to the body of said cylinder adjacent said stem and a support portion adapted to receive and secure one end of said spring to said frame;

(e) a traveler block having a locking opening secured to the opposite end of said spring and to the other end of said lever adapting said lever to be placed under the tension of said spring when in said open position;

(f) guide means having a locking opening and slidably mounting said traveler block and adapting said block to move under the tension of said spring, and thereby move said lever between positions corresponding to said stem being open and closed; and

(g) fusible locking means effective to lock said traveler block on said guide means in a position wherein said openings in each are aligned with said lever in said open position and under the tension of said spring and adapted to melt in the presence of heat such that said traveler block is unlocked and under the influence of said spring tension moves said lever and thereby said stem to closed position.

2. An attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said clamp portion comprises a circular band and tightening screws adapted to be secured to the cap end of an acetylene cylinder and the like, said support portion comprises a vertically curved arm integrally secured to said band, and a mounting block pivotally secured to said arm and adapted to secure one end of said spring, said traveler block is pivotally secured to said lever, said guide means comprises a shaft extending outwardly from said mounting block and within said spring, said shaft and mounting block being adapted to rotate around said arm simultaneous with said lever rotating around said stem upon melting of said locking means.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 2 wherein said mounting and traveler blocks include opposed flanges and including a spreading tool adapted to mount on said flanges, said flanges and tool being arranged such that operation of said tool acts to spread said flanges and retention said spring following melting of said locking means and to realign said openings for receiving a replacement said fusible locking means.

4. An attachment for a bottled gas cylinder of the type having a valve controlled by a stem extending from the body of said cylinder, comprising in combination:

(a) a socket adapted to releasably engage the stem of a cylinder;

(b) rotatable valve operator means connected to said automatically rotated to closed position so as to shut socket for rotating said stern between open and closed ff fl f gas f aid cylinder, positions;

(0) a tension spring arranged so as to have one end References Cited secured to said cylinder at a position adjacent said 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS stem and the other end secured to said valve operator means such that rotation of said valve operator means 2,637,333 5/1953 HPuston et 13775 to open position places said spring under tension; and ,0 7/ 1958 DlCkSOn 7489.15

(d) locking means including a fusible member arranged to lock said operator means in open position 10 FRED MATTERN, 'y EXamlnef and in the presence of excess heat caused by fire and W. RATLIFF JR. Assistant Examiner the like, said fusible member being designed to melt and unlock said locking means such that said operator C X-R. means under the influence of said spring tension is 137-75 

